Life with Aspergers

As we bid farewell to 2012 and indeed, to the final year in which Asperger's Syndrome has any official status in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), I thought I might take a moment to recap some major Aspergers and Autism moments this year. Please note, that these are my own observations and as such they're subject to interpretation. Hopefully I won't offend anyone here by naming or using logos. This year, as usual, I reviewed several books on Autism. It's hard to pick a favourite but I'd guess that it would probably be; Loving Someone with Asperger's Syndrome by Cindy N Ariel . For me, that one hit pretty close to home. I also really enjoyed  "A Lifetime of Laughing and Loving with Autism" Compiled by R. Wayne Gilpin because it was full of positive real-life stories. In fact, I read so many great books on autism this year that I decided to start a Pinterest Board. Check it out here . Another great compilat

My Latest Post on Special-ism, Managing Expectations and Reactions During Visits and Gift Exchange is now available and while it's mostly about Christmas, it's also about every celebration and family gathering. Have  read of it here. http://special-ism.com/managing-expectations-and-reactions-during-visits-and-gift-exchange/

I'm finally ready to talk about the Sandy Hook thing but it's not really a thing I'd normally discuss on this blog. You see, I like to stay on topic and keep all of my posts about Autism and Asperger's Syndrome - and Sandy Hook is about neither. Still, I guess there are some things which need to be said. In case you don't know, Sandy Hook is the latest in a number of school shootings in the US. In many ways, it's being considered the "worst" because of the number of victims involved and their young ages.  In truth, whichever shooting affects your own family is always the "worst". There no ranking. All of these "crazy gunmen" incidents are bad. Over here in Australia, where among other things, we have some of the most restrictive gun laws in the world, we're constantly shaking our heads at our US cousins who are ruled by powerful gun lobbies under a constitution which was written more or less to close to a period of war. Get

Sensory Parenting: The Elementary Years  School Years Are Easier when Your Child's Senses Are Happy! by Britt Collins MS, OTR and Jackie Linder Olson. Sensory Parenting: The Elementary Years is a sequel of sorts to  Sensory Parenting: Newborns to Toddlers . To me it feels like a much more accomplished book - perhaps though, it's simply the fact that this one is far more relevant to my current situation. Like its predecessor, the book focuses on finding ways around your child's sensitivities and it's designed for parents of children with a range of complications, including but not limited to, Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), the Autism spectrum in general and Attention-Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). Like the first book, this is a collaboration between a mother (Jackie) and a paediatric occupational therapist (Britt). Somehow, this time around, their voices are far more harmonious and the switching between Britt and Jackie's point of view is far les